Kool & The Gang

  • Jersey City, NJ
    hometown
  • Funk
    genre
  • 1964
    started
  • Bio
    full story
  • Share
  • Similar
Close

About Kool & The Gang

Official Site: http://koolandthegang.com


Formed as a jazz ensemble in the mid-'60s, Kool & the Gang became one of the most inspired and influential funk units during the '70s, and one of the most popular R&B groups of the '80s after their breakout hit "Celebration" in 1979. Just as funky as James Brown or Parliament (and sampled almost as frequently), Kool & the Gang relied on their jazz backgrounds and long friendship to form a tightly knit group with the interplay and improvisation of a jazz outfit, plus the energy and spark of a band with equal ties to soul, R&B, and funk.

Robert "Kool" Bell and his brother Ronald (or Khalis Bayyan) grew up in Jersey City, NJ, and picked up the music bug from their father. A professional boxer, he was also a serious jazz lover and a close friend of Thelonious Monk. With Robert on bass and Ronald picking up an array of horns, the duo formed the Jazziacs in 1964 with several neighborhood friends: trombone player Clifford Adams, guitarists Charles Smith and Woody Sparrow, trumpeter Robert "Spike" Michens, alto saxophonist Dennis Thomas, keyboard player Ricky West, and drummer Funky George Brown (all of whom, except Michens and West, still remained in the group more than 30 years later).

The growing earthiness of soul inspired the Jazziacs to temper their jazz sensibilities with rhythms more akin to R&B, and the newly renamed Soul Town Band began playing clubs in Greenwich Village. After a mix-up with a club owner resulted in the group being billed Kool & the Flames, they moderated the title to Kool & the Gang and found a leg up with the tiny De-Lite Records. Three singles from their self-titled debut album hit the pop charts, and although the position wasn't incredibly high, Kool & the Gang became a quick success on the R&B charts. Always a staple of their appeal, the group's live act was documented on two 1971 LPs, Live at the Sex Machine and Live at P.J.'s, including left-field covers of "Walk On By" and "Wichita Lineman" (as well as the not so unusual "I Want to Take You Higher").

Studio albums followed in 1972 and 1973, but it was with Kool & the Gang's sixth LP, Wild and Peaceful, that they hit the big time. "Funky Stuff" became their first Top 40 hit at the end of 1973. Then both "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging" reached the pop Top Ten. During the next four years, however, Kool & the Gang could only manage an occasional Top 40 hit ("Higher Plane," "Spirit of the Boogie"), and though they did win a Grammy award for "Open Sesame" (from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack), the rise of disco -- a movement centered around producers and vocalists, in direct contrast to the group's focus on instrumentalists -- had appeared to end their popularity.

Then, in 1979, the group added two new vocalists, Earl Toon, Jr. and, more importantly, James "J.T." Taylor, a former Jersey nightclub singer. Kool & the Gang also began working with jazz fusion arranger Eumir Deodato, who produced their records from 1979 to 1982. The first such album, Ladies Night, was their biggest hit yet, the first of three consecutive platinum albums, with the Top Ten singles "Too Hot" and the title track. Celebrate!, released in 1980, spawned Kool & the Gang's only number one hit, "Celebration," an anthem favored by innumerable wedding receptions since. With Deodato, the group produced several more hits, including the singles "Take My Heart (You Can Have It if You Want It)," "Get Down on It," and "Big Fun," and the albums Something Special in 1981 and As One a year later. After Deodato left the fold in late 1982, Kool & the Gang proved their success wasn't solely due to him; they had two immense hits during 1984-1985 ("Joanna" and "Cherish"), as well as two more Top Tens, "Misled" and "Fresh." The group's string of seven gold or platinum records continued until 1986's Forever, after which James "J.T." Taylor amicably left the group for a solo career.

Although Taylor did reasonably well with his solo recordings (many of which were produced by Ronald Bell), Kool & the Gang quickly sank without him. They replaced Taylor with three vocalists, Skip Martin (formerly of the Dazz Band), Odeen Mays, and Gary Brown, but failed to chart their albums Sweat (1989) and Unite (1993). Taylor finally returned to the group in 1995 for the release of a new album, State of Affairs. They continued well throughout the 2000s, releasing 2001's Gangland, 2004's The Hits: Reloaded, and 2007's Still Kool (recorded after the 2006 death of co-founder Charles Smith). They often collaborated with new and well-known younger talent. ~ John Bush, Rovi

Scroll up Scroll down

Music

From position 0, showing 10 items, asking 10
See All
Next Page
  • Rags To Riches
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Rags To Riches
  • Celebration
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Celebration
  • Get Down On It
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Get Down On It
  • Hi De Hi Hi De Ho
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Hi De Hi Hi De Ho
  • Love Festival
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Love Festival
  • Fresh
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Fresh
  • Jones vs. Jones
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Jones vs. Jones
  • Big Fun
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Big Fun
  • No Show
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    No Show
  • Misled
    kool-the-gang
    Video
    Misled

News

From position 0, showing 7 items, asking 10
See All
  • Kool & The Gang
    Kool & the Gang gives rare US concert in Havana
    music.yahoo.com
    and soul, Kool & the Gang came into its own in the 1970s and '80s. Its "Celebration" has been a mainstay ... Kool & the Gang gives rare US concert in ...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    Kool & The Gang Surprised They're Opening For Van Halen | Prefix
    www.prefixmag.com
    Van Halen's doing the whole reunion thing this year with a new album and a pretty gigantic tour of North America. Well, what you might not have heard ...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    Van Halen Enlists Kool & the Gang As Tour Openers
    Paste
    In what is shaping up to be possibly the best the '80s revival tour of the decade, Van Halen has announced that Kool & the Gang will be opening for th...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    Van Halen, Kool & The Gang @ Staples Center, Los Angeles 6/9/12
    stereogum.com
    Kings t-shirt), and David Lee Roth brought their bombastic live show to a sold out Staples Center homecoming. Van Halen have been touring extensively ...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    ZZ Top, Kool & The Gang and More to Join Kid Rock on the Road This Summer
    www.jambands.com
    Kool & The Gang, ZZ Top and Uncle Kracker will split opening duties for Kid Rock this summer. The eclectic mix of bands will support Kid Rock and his ...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    Sharon Jones Backs Out of GoogaMooga, Replaced by Kool and The Gang
    www.jambands.com
    Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have backed out of this weekend's GoogaMooga festival due to an urgent family matter. The group was set to headline the...
    Read More
  • Kool & The Gang
    Alex Bleeker & the Freaks Celebrate New Album with Grateful Dead and Kool & the Gang Covers
    www.jambands.com
    performance at Brooklyn, NY's Knitting Factory last night. Though the band focused on material from their release, the jam-oriented group also throw i...
    Read More

Tour Dates

From position 0, showing 25 items, asking 50
See All
  • Jun 21 Friday
    St Petersburg, FL, US Progress Energy Center's Mahaffey Theater
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 28 Friday
    Sterling Heights, MI, US Freedom Hill County Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 28 Friday
    Bristow, VA, US Jiffy Lube Live
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Holmdel, NJ, US PNC Bank Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 30 Sunday
    Sterling Heights, MI, US Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 2 Tuesday
    Cuyahoga Falls, OH, US Blossom Music Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 5 Friday
    Darien Center, NY, US Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Avoine, France Chapiteau - Avoine Zone Blues
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Scranton, PA, US Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 8 Monday
    Vienne, France Théâtre Antique
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    Camden, NJ, US Susquehanna Bank Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 10 Wednesday
    Mansfield, MA, US Comcast Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Hershey, PA, US Hersheypark Stadium
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 20 Saturday
    Winter Park, CO, US Hideaway Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 23 Tuesday
    Albuquerque, NM, US Isleta Amphitheater
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 24 Wednesday
    Phoenix, AZ, US Ashley Furniture Homestore Pavilion
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 25 Thursday
    Sacramento, CA, US California State Fairgrounds
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 27 Saturday
    Grand Ronde, OR, US Heritage Hall Stage - Spirit Mountain Casino
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 2 Friday
    Crozon, France Presquile De Crozon - Finistère
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 2 Friday
    Narbonne, France Chateau L'hospitalet
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 3 Saturday
    Crozon, France Presquile De Crozon - Finistère
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 4 Sunday
    Crozon, France Presquile De Crozon - Finistère
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 9 Friday
    Ventura, CA, US Ventura County Fairgrounds
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 30 Friday
    Snoqualmie, WA, US Snoqualmie Casino Mountain View Plaza
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 14 Saturday
    Atlantic City, NJ, US Tropicana Casino - Tropicana Showroom
    Buy Ticket

Discography

From position 0, showing 10 items, asking 10
See All
Next Page
  • Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
    Kool & The Gang
    Live at Montreux 2009 (2009)
    Eagle Rock
  • Still Kool (2007)
    Kool & The Gang
    Still Kool (2007)
    New Door Records
  • Too Hot Live (2002)
    Kool & The Gang
    Too Hot Live (2002)
    BCI Music (Brentwood Communication)
  • Gangland (2001)
    Kool & The Gang
    Gangland (2001)
    Eagle Music Group
  • Greatest Hits Live (1998)
    Kool & The Gang
    Greatest Hits Live (1998)
    Rhino Records
  • State of Affairs (1996)
    Kool & The Gang
    State of Affairs (1996)
    Curb Records
  • Unite (1993)
    Kool & The Gang
    Unite (1993)
    Culture Press
  • Sweat (1989)
    Kool & The Gang
    Sweat (1989)
    Universal Italia Srl.
  • Forever (1986)
    Kool & The Gang
    Forever (1986)
    Mercury
  • Emergency (1984)
    Kool & The Gang
    Emergency (1984)
    Universal Special Products
Are You Kool & The Gang? Claim this page | Learn more about Artists.MTV | FAQ for Artists | Opportunities
Kool & The Gang Bio | Kool & The Gang Tour Dates | Kool & The Gang Music | Kool & The Gang News | Kool & The Gang Discography |
MTV | MTV Jobs | Privacy Policy | User Content Agreement | Copyright | Artist Index | Social Projects Agreements | Ad Choices |
Portions of this page powered by
This site contains content from artists, fans, and writers from around the internet in it's natural form. Such content is not representative of Viacom Media Networks.

©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

  • Explore
    • Popular
    • Emerging
    • Genres
      • Rock
      • Hip Hop
      • Indie
      • Electronic/EDM
      • Country
      • Pop
    • Collections
    • Artist To Watch
  • Search
  • Are you an artist?
    • Claim Your Page
    • Learn More
    • FAQ
    • Opportunities